Whilst I was slumming it in Lake Garda in the foothills of the Italian Alps, one of the team ventured out to a local site that has been excavated several times over the years. Even Time Team had a go a while back!

Rob was warmly greeted by the lead archaeologists who were in charge of proceedings and they kindly asked where his "team" mate was!He assured them that I was okay and looking at "real" Roman items in Italy.

Now that I'm back in the UK I will make an effort to visit the site before we get bogged down in our own interests involving Robin, Rob and myself.

Anyway, back to Rob's visit; the archaeologists decided to dig out a large section of clay to see what was underneath it using the mattock method.The spoil heap was subsequently scanned by Rob and an extremely unexpected item turned up....... a silver Roman knee brooch!

The whole of the archaeological community there were bewildered at the find and instantly recognised the importance of metal-detectorists joining a full scale archaeological dig.Rob did go on to find a minim too in the spoil heap!

What an accolade for us guys (ie; fellow detectorists) .... and one in the eye for our antagonists, especially those abroad that are nothing to do with archaeology in the slightest and more interested in picking up fares.

Here's a couple of images taken by the archaeologists.....​

Again, this shows the importance and advantages of metal-detectorists interacting with archaeologists, and another step forward in the ever increasing union between two such powerful and important groups of people.

Lets hope that this model can be replicated in Europe, if not the World!